1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a cleaning device, and more particularly to a cleaning device for removing any residual on the image bearing member of an image formation apparatus to make the image bearing member reusable.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of image formation apparatus have heretofore been proposed in which a latent image is formed on an image bearing member such as a photosensitive medium on the basis of electrophotography or the like, the latent image is developed to provide a developed image, the developed image is transferred to a transfer medium, thereafter the residual developer on the surface of the image bearing member is removed to make the image bearing member reusable.
A blade cleaning system has been widely used as a system which is simple and very durable as the cleaning device for the image bearing member of the image formation apparatus described above.
In the blade cleaning system, it is necessary to cause the blade edge to bear against the surface of the image bearing member such as a photosensitive medium with a suitable pressure and at a suitable angle, and if this setting is not good, the surface of the image bearing member will abrade or damage, or the blade itself will abrade or damage.
Particularly, the material or physical property of the blade itself greatly contributes to the effectiveness of the cleaning, but in the past, the conditions have been empirically set with the aid of a simple measurement of the pressure or the like of the blade edge, however this has not always been sufficient.
Accordingly, if an adjustment is not made for variations in the cleaning conditions caused by abrasion or the like of the blade during use of the blade, there exists the possibility of sharply diminished cleaning. Again in such a case, the blade itself will be damaged, and sometimes even the surface of the image bearing member maybe damaged which will give rise to the necessity of replacing the image bearing member before its original period of use expires.